Alicun - Úbeda

Oddly enough, I had the BEST sushi I think I've ever eaten in Ubeda, Spain. The town is not near the ocean, either! I had seared tuna, with black and white sesame seeds on the edges, coconut curry ice cream and wasabi.Tender and so delicious!

The place looks absolutely new, interior is probably the nicest modern restaurant in the area. We had a tapas lunch, first we got a small tasty salat , much more than the standard olives on the house. The tapas were fresh, interesting and good. The chairs are comfortable. friendly and good service.

Not expecting to find this quality of food in Ubéda, it was simply amazing and the large tasting menu was VERY reasonable in price... Chef Pedro Hervás was active even in presenting the amazing dishes which was a tour in traditional cuisine and modern Spanish. I will be back when I pass this little gem and I expect to see a Michelin star... it's deserved.

We were offered to sit outside in the patio and were pleased by the breeze although it's a closed surrounding. The service was high above andalusian standard, the maitre gave us some good advises on the kitchen and wines. At the end we decided us for the traditional degustation menu. What a treat! The combination of typical flavours with a modern touch makes this menu an explosion for the senses. A part of the superb taste the presentation of the food was a pleasure. At the end we were more than satisfied ... just happy!

We were looking around for a place for lunch (not at all an easy task in regional Spain at siesta time! and decided to try the cafe attached to the new Palacio de Ubeda. It 's located around the corner from the Hotel and restaurant entrance. We were so delighted with not only the interesting lunch menu and food presented, but also the service, so we decided straight away to go and book a table for our Wedding Anniversary dinner that same night. We were not at all disappointed! The service was friendly and helpful, despite their limited English and our very limited Spanish, as the delightful waitress and waiter went to trouble to explain every plate of our 10 course degustation menu in detail. The food was amazing, innovative yet had very Spanish style and flavours. Presentation was fabulous. And most amazing, for us Australians, was the price. Only €40 each! With house wines it would have been only €49, but being a special occassion for us we opted for cava and a bottle of wine. The only surprise was that we were the only people dining that night, but it was still winter menu and the Restaurant had only opened 4 months ago. It deserves to be a great success!